Years ago construction advertising involved little more than a radio ad, a billboard, and a phone book.
Nowadays, it’s not so simple. Just hearing terms like organic search, retargeting ads, and lead gen sites can make your head spin.
So which construction company advertising strategies are working best right now?
Here are 7 ideas that can help you generate quality leads so you can focus on what you love doing most — building or remodeling your clients’ homes.
7 Construction Advertising Ideas That Generate Quality Leads
Here are 7 online and offline construction company advertising ideas that help you generate consistent leads.
Run Google Ads campaigns
When it comes to Google Ads, there are a bunch of different options available. Here are 4 of the best ones you can use for running construction company ads.
Google Local Service Ads
Google’s local service ads are some of the best ones for construction and remodeling companies. And a lot has to do with how they’re configured.
Set up your ads properly and when someone searches for “remodeling company near me”, yours could show up at the top of the list. And right there in the ad potential clients can see your name, rating, and contact info.
Plus, Instead of paying per click (like most paid ads), with Google service ads you only pay per lead. That helps guarantee a better ROI.
Google Map ads
Ranking high in Google’s local search results is a big deal for a small business, but it can take some time. Setup Google Map ads and you’ll be able to instantly skip to the front of the line and appear in the top results.
Normal organic search ads
When you search on Google, the first few results are usually ads and will be marked with “sponsored” or “ad”. Those first few results get over a third of all the clicks.
So instead of waiting for months or years to reach the top of the results organically, you can set up a construction ad for your company that shows up in those prime spots (and gets tons of clicks).
Google Display ads
Instead of appearing among search results, Google display ads appearFacebook on normal websites. These are great for building your brand identity.
Instead of showing up only when someone searches for a specific term, Google can show your construction company advertisement to a target audience. And even if someone doesn’t click on your ad the first time, once they see it several times, they’re more likely to be interested.
Sponsor listings on industry lead gen sites
Lead gen sites are kind of like a modern combination of the good old phone book and word-of-mouth advertising. They’re designed to match clients planning a home project with verified construction professionals.
Construction companies can advertise their services and collect good reviews from clients. Homeowners can find the right professional for their job. And the lead gen site works to make sure both sides are happy. Everybody wins!
Here are some of the top lead generation sites you can check out.
- ConstructConnect
- HomeAdvisor
- Porch
- BuildZoom
- Bark
- Thumbtack
- The Blue Book
- Dodge
- Angi (Formerly Angie’s List)
Run Yelp ads
Yelp is the online review powerhouse for everything from restaurants to service businesses. 45% of people check Yelp reviews before making a purchase. So if your business isn’t on Yelp yet, it should be.
While the free version of Yelp is essential for any business, you can also fast-track your construction advertising with paid Yelp ads. Yelp ads can be highly effective (one study showed that on average every $1 in Yelp advertising yields $3 in revenue).
A lot of that has to do with the fact that when someone is on Yelp, they’re not just window shopping, they’re ready to choose a professional to tackle their project.
Launch facebook ad campaigns
When planning advertisements, most construction companies tend to forget about Facebook. But really, Facebook is one of the most powerful advertising platforms thanks to its ability to target specific audiences.
Cold audiences
Even when targeting cold audiences who’ve never heard of you before, Facebook gives you the tools to get solid leads.
First, you need to understand your target audience. Then in Facebook’s Ad Manager, you can build an audience according to things like:
- Geographic location (You won’t be targeting people in Alaska if your company is in Florida!)
- Income level
- Interests
- Behaviors
- Homeowners or renters
Craft a compelling ad (before and after pics work great) and offer them a free download in exchange for their email. It could be something like a report about “10 Big Mistakes Homeowners Make When Planning a Remodeling Project”.
Then you can slowly nurture leads on your email list until they’re ready to hire you.
*PRO TIP: Use high-quality 3D renderings in your ads. They make a powerful visual impact and create an emotional connection with potential clients. Visuals made with Cedreo work well.
Retargeting (warm audiences)
Another powerful part of advertising on Facebook is the ability to retarget warm leads.
Imagine that 100 people clicked on your ad but only 10 took an action on your site. You know that the other 90 people are warm leads. Go to Facebook’s Ad Manager and create a retargeting ad that will show a specific ad only to those 90 people who haven’t yet taken any action.
Retargeting a warm audience is an easy way to increase your conversions and get a better ROI from your ad spend.
Run cold outreach to other construction companies
Instead of just trying to reach homeowners, you can also target other construction companies. There are two main ways this can get you more work.
- Find large construction companies through lead gen sites like TheBlueBook and reach out through email to offer your services as a subcontractor.
- Reach out to companies who serve the same types of customers as you but perform different services. Offer them incentives for referring clients to you.
Sponsor community events
Build trust in your brand image by getting involved in your local community. Here are a few ways:
- Sponsor local sporting events for opportunities to display your company logo or info on jerseys, hats, and around the event location.
- Sponsor a local festival and look for ways to display your company info on billboards, posters, or flyers.
- Sponsor charitable events that get local attention. You could even donate building materials or labor to help the local community.
Offer discounts or incentives for referrals
Happy customers are your best salespeople. Incentivize them even more with discounts, a free maintenance project, or even cold hard cash for sending new clients your way.
Just make sure that whatever you offer makes it worth their while for spreading the word about your business.
Construction Advertising Best Practices
Regardless of which construction advertisement ideas you plan to use, here are a few tips for getting the most out of your advertising.
Use laser-focused ad targeting
The more targeted your ads are, the better return you’ll get on your investment.
And fortunately, if you post a construction advertisement on Facebook or Google, you can target specific groups of people who you know are already interested in what you have to offer.
So first think about who your ideal client is and what types of jobs you’d like to get.
If you want kitchen remodel jobs in high-end homes, use google to target keywords like “kitchen remodel contractors”. Or use Facebook Ads to target homeowners in a specific zip code with a higher income level.
Add high-quality visuals
Nothing creates an emotional impact like high-quality pictures. That’s why more and more contractors are using computer-generated 3D images (also called renderings).
They’re realistic images of projects created in a home design program and are a great way to help interested people get excited about a project.
3D renderings used to be expensive and complicated to produce. But now with programs like Cedreo, anyone can create professional 3D images.
*Cedreo is surprisingly easy to use and lets you create professional floor plans and 3D renderings that are perfect for adding to a construction advertisement sample. Sign up for the FREE version today!
Leverage reviews and testimonials
With so many scammers and unskilled contractors doing subpar work, building trust in your business has never been more important. That’s where reviews and testimonials come in.
At first, it can be a little scary to open up your business to reviews on your Google My Business page or Yelp. You’re probably thinking…”But what if I get a bad review?”
A few negative reviews here and there can build trust since people tend to be skeptical of 5-star ratings. Plus, if someone leaves a negative review, use it as a chance to reply and offer to resolve the problem.
And as your ratings soar, don’t be afraid to show it off. Add your 4-5 star rating to your webpage, business flyers, or a builder advertisement you post on Facebook.
Feature your employees
Another solid way to showcase your business and build a relationship with potential clients is to feature your employees.
Try showcasing a story about an employee or even asking them some questions about their favorite part of their job. This helps share your company culture while creating an emotional connection with interested people.
Ensure you have a mobile-friendly website
The percentage of mobile searches is skyrocketing. The majority of visits to websites in this past year were from mobile devices.
So make sure your website is mobile-friendly. If it takes too long to load or is difficult to navigate — even just for a second or two — there’s a good chance the person will click back to the search results and visit a competitor’s site.
Close More Residential Construction Projects
Ready to start leveraging the power of construction advertising to get a steady stream of leads? Start implementing some of the steps outlined above and get ready to fill up your schedule.
And whichever method you choose to implement first, remember…
- Try to reach your target audience
- Work to build trust in your company
- Create an emotional connection with high-quality visuals
One of the best ways to harness the power of 3D visuals is with Cedreo. With it, you can easily create professional images to use in your advertising materials. Best of all, you don’t have to be a design professional to do it.
Start using Cedreo today and join 1000s of other contractors who are selling more projects with the help of Cedreo!
